You want me to share your blog post?

1. Write something worth reading.

Yes, I'm ADHD. It's hard to keep my attention. Sorry. But if I'm reading your post and have to stutter my way through or skim parts, I'm not sharing it. There are plenty of bloggers who can keep my attention all the way through their posts. You want to see which ones? Check my page. I share what I like.



2. Be original.

Be you. Show me YOUR voice. If you are just going to waste my time regurgitating other people's opinions or telling me what you think I want to hear, I'm not going to bother reading it, much less share. My time is valuable and extremely limited.

Don't pretend to be something you're not. That's obvious and annoying.



3. Talk to me.

I came to listen to you tell me what you want to say. Not to watch you just ramble into a void with no particular point.



4. Make it easy to read.

Use spacing. enter. pictures. proof read. spell check. use your punctuation, man! I'll admit, my punctuation is everywhere, you never know what I'm going to use where from posts to post. But, at least know the rules, what each one does, and then use it however you want to use it but damnit, USE IT CORRECTLY to fit what you are saying! Make it part of the story, a tool in showcasing your voice. At least break up those sentences a little.

If I get a headache before I get to the end of your post, I'm going to be pissed and I probably won't be back.



5. Watch your tone.

Make sure your tone matches your message. (ableism, yes. I don't care.) If the tone makes me uncomfortable, I won't even finish the post but I will be back tomorrow to see what you have to say this time.




6. Let me know you wrote it.

I do have a limited number of people I consider to be my friends and yes, I do share some of their posts. I share other posts as well. I don't share just because people are my friends, I share because they wrote something good and let me know they did. If your posts aren't being shared, the problem is you, not me. Start looking at what you are doing and stop blaming it on the "cool kids' clique." If you are writing good stuff and it's still not being shared, look at your networking system.

Let me tell you about the accusation of "playing favorites." My husband's family tried that once when I said no to a kid I couldn't handle. Here's the situation from my point of view... You want me to take your kids, and take all of your kids equally, no matter the pressure put on me. BUT, not one single family member takes a single one of my kids for any length of time. So, you want me to do all of the work, you want to be able to tell me what I need to do and how I need to do it but you don't need to do a single thing yourself? Bullshit. I haven't heard it since from them and I won't take it from you.




7. Make it easy to share.

If I can't just click a button, I'm probably going to pass except for the rare post that's worth the extra work.






Yes, this is all about me. I am a selfish and lazy person. But... YOU are the one wanting ME to share YOUR post and I am a very selfish and lazy person. You do the work and I'll help you out. I never ask people to do something I'm not willing to do myself.

I owe you nothing. I did the work to get to where I am. When my posts are shared, I take pride in that and I let the people know that I appreciate it. When my posts are not shared, I don't look for someone to blame. Suck it up and work harder.

Do you have to like me for me to share your post? No. Do I have to like you? Well, as long as you aren't one particular blogger who shall never be named on anything linked to me... No. You just have to write good stuff and let me know you did.

End of the Year Anxiety

I just watched my smallest child hop up the bus stairs on the last day of his kindergarten year. I don't know if I want to jump for joy, screaming the lyrics to Alice Cooper's School's Out, or look apprehensively toward the start of next year which is only a few short months away.

Next year should be good for the Goofy One, they picked the perfect teacher (or so they say, we shall see) to fit his needs and his personality and I got that letter I told you about yesterday. The Letter. The one that shocked the hell out of me, made me cry, and had me screaming the news from the rooftops?

"The *** School District offers supplemental reading services for children in grades 1-5. Based on your child's progress in literacy development in kindergarten, I am recommending at the beginning of 1st grade Goofy be screened for supplemental reading services."

 Yeah. That. :D

But then I got an e-mail from the middle school principal. An end of the year e-mail. That congratulated people who are moving on. Including the Mystery Man. You know what that means, right? New Vice Principals. Maybe 2 of them. Just saying that starts this ball of panic in my chest. Whew. breathing. Ok, breathing. *woosah*


My freak out last night...

"GAHHHHHHH!!!! My Mystery Man got a freaking promotion!!!! Now we have to have TWO new vice principals!!!!! NEXT YEAR IS GOING TO SUCK!!! I think I might be having a heart attack. oh, wait, that just school administration RIPPING MY HEART OUT!!!!"

Now multiply that by 3!  

This worries me for the Middle School because the Mystery man is the only one I have ever dealt with and that even that was against my will. I don't know anyone else there. I've had small waving conversations with the principal but that's just, you know, waving.

and it worries me with the Elementary because now I am eyeing them suspiciously. Who else are they going to change? Who are these people I am supposed to be working with? The Mystery Man ended up being AWESOME, can they top that? The last VP was silent and the one before that was... rough years with the school.

and it worries me with Alex's school because I'm already on the edge of insanity, who's going to change there!? Oh, God, I can't take any more new people, I just can't. I'm still waiting for news on the teacher, he's supposed to have the same one next year but I won't find out until the welcome letters come out in August or so. Everybody, start praying! Pray hard! Please.

But then again, look how this year turned out... ...ok, this year turned out pretty crappy for everyone but Alex.

Oh, Lord, have mercy. IEPs. IEPs and evaluations and doctors. another year of being the Goofy Child's psychotic pain in the ass of a mother. I read somewhere (in IDEA) last night that what they are requesting- the screening- is not the same as an evaluation so after they do their screening and find out the Goofy One can't read, I have to re-request evaluation for SSD services which wasn't supposed to happen until after the first report card but... *shrugs*

The good news is, I'm not supposed to have to worry about Alex. He has a great teacher, a good IEP, good staff....everything is good with him and should mostly stay the same which leaves me to freak in peace on the Goofy One.

Does anyone else get a head start on the beginning of the year freak outs? Please?

Ever had one of those days where nothing goes right?

Sometime during the night there must have been a storm that knocked the electricity out, which set my alarm clock to flashing instead of doing it's job to wake me up. My husband was the one to notice this...after Alex missed his bus.

get the Goofy one up, dressed and medicated... he can't find his shoes. We searched and searched and could not find them anywhere... we had that baby girl here who loves to wear other people's shoes. crap. I still can't find his shoes but I found the old ones just in time for him to miss his bus.

On the way to Alex's school because I have to go to Alex's school first because to take Alex to his old school and then leave... upsets Alex just a little, I realize I don't have his glasses.

alright, fine. whatever. Just whatever. I'm ready to just chalk it up to a bad start to a normal morning and I'll just have to go get them after I get all of the kids to school... until I see this driving Alex to school...

and I knew. I knew that this wasn't just another one of those days, this was another one of THOSE days where apparently, the Good Lord needed a good laugh and I'm the one wearing a kick me sign.

This is the only way I know to get to Alex's school and it took me months to find my way without getting lost. I call my husband for directions, he doesn't answer his phone and there is no way for me to go around this and get where I'm going so f*ck it! He's not going. He'll stay home with me. *firm nod*

We head back the way we came on the way to the Goofy Child's school and pass back by the house where Thing1's whatever is standing on our front porch with the grandbaby looking worried. I call my husband who *surprise* doesn't answer his phone. Thing1's whatever calls me, I tell her he's in the garage, just go in. ok. problem solved.

We get to the Goofy Child's school, I have one eye on him, two knots undone, two socks and one shoe on Alex and my phone rings. The doors are locked. and she has to leave now.

FINE! load back up and head back home. I pull into the driveway to see my husband standing on the front porch holding the grandbaby, waving. I slap the steering wheel mouthing, "are you f*cking kidding me!?" he mimes at me Alex's glasses, I flip him the bird and back out of the driveway to head back to Goofy's school.

I have one eye on the Goofy child, undo the knot in Alex's shoe lace, put his socks and shoes back on and walk the Goofy one into the building. Alex is in a hurry, Goofy is not. I'm trying to slow one and hurry the other all the way to the door. We get inside and into the office where I can barely think straight enough to tell the Goofy child what to do, as if he's never been late for school before. As if he has to be told every single step every single time. The receptionist tells me to not bother signing him in when Alex tried to clean her counter for her and said she'd do it.

and then we go home. me 'n' Alex. I pack a diaper bag for him and the grandbaby, throw his stroller in the car and I'm ready to go to the social security office with my husband because one of us forgot to report wages, I'm sure there was a supernatural hand in it setting the stage for today. My husband wants to know why I still have Alex. I still have Alex because GOD HATES ME!!!!

My husband decides Alex is going to school. He will drive. Poor Alex. Oh, poor Alex. he's going to have such a rough day. Fine. whatever.

We get to the school and I stop by the office to ask the receptionist to please call his room. she says she will. Leaving the office, I realize I didn't tell her why I wanted her to call. I need them to come get Alex because he doesn't really like for me to walk him to class. I figure while we're waiting, since I'm hoping someone will show up, we can hit the nurse's office for his toe. he must have hit it on something because he has a big open area. She doctors his toe and we go back to the hall where there is no one. Ok, I walk him to class.

Once I get back out and we are on our way, I see that there is no way we will be able to go to the social security office and get back home in time to get Goofy. We have to pick one or the other. So, we call the neighbor dad and I hang my head in shame at having to ask, yet again, for him to pick up my slack.

And I'm back to Alex. He is feisty today. I'm hoping he has a good day, even though the morning was such a mess. He comes home without his glasses and with a reminder that I forgot to send diapers. again. Yeah, we're just going to call that even.

Tomorrow will be a good day. Tomorrow will be easy. Tomorrow will go as planned. I have faith.

Why I won't be online much during summer...

I don't know that I have a real point in this post, I just haven't written in a few days and felt the need. I've been pretty quiet and there are a few reasons for that. They have names but there are too many to list. I swear to you, they are trying to kill me. Even now, the Tiniest Supervillain is saying in her tiny voice, "I play freeze tag? We play freeze tag, please?" HELP! I've created a monster!!!! I'm pretty sure Alex's sister is putting their Mommy through the same hell right about now but I just can't do it today. I need rest. I'm old. I'm fragile. Why don't they believe I'm frail!?

anyway, We have to have a plan for the summer. the sister is already out of school, my boys will be out Wednesday and Alex is done Thursday. This week was thrown together haphazardly because, you know, unexpected events. Haphazard leads to frazzled and messy.

Wednesday, we went to story time because we always go to story time. Story time sucked because we got the sucky storyteller. and this story teller made us participate in group activities. we hate group activities. we like individual in a group. not group as a whole. You should have seen the look TS shot me when she had to do ring around the rosie. They all refused to hold hands with anyone. I tell you what, they may not be my kids... but these kids are totally mine, lol. Alex's sister was pissed that she had to go home after. She wanted to stay and play with the Little Dementor and the Tiniest Supervillain. So I promised her something great if she went to her last day of school. Something and "Summer". She doesn't know what summer is yet, but she'll learn. Kind of a throw the girl to the sharks kind of thing... swim along or be eaten alive.

Thursday, I had to come up with something great. Follow through is just as important with rewards as it is with discipline. So, we went to feed the ducks, look at animals and play on a playground. and the girl learned to climb :) She's a quick learner, all she needs is an example and encouragement. "I can't do it," lol, I haven't heard those words since. Well, except when she couldn't find her own worm but that's later. We came home to play in water and wait for the boys, once the boys came home, we were off again.

Since they kicked my ass, I didn't plan on doing anything Friday because I needed rest...until I found out The Little D and Tiniest S were going home Saturday so... Friday, it is. We went to another park where we discovered "higher" ...

 

and "worms" which were actually caterpillars. When we got home, the TS was helping the Sister find worms. and she found one. Every time Sister said, "I can't find one," TS would poke a stick at the ground, "There he is! See him dead body? I found him. That's him dead body right there." Well, the worm wasn't actually dead until this...

Now it's dead.

Then came the game of freeze tag. The final nail in my coffin...

Once the Little D was it... that was the end of it. I am so glad he's not my runner, the boy is quick! NO! You don't understand! I was running and running and it didn't matter how fast I ran, how quick I turned, who I threw in his way...as soon as I started thinking I lost him, I looked back and there he was! I just could not shake him! It was scary, man! HE was scary! and smart! He wore down the big people and froze them before he went after the little ones. Once it came down to the Little D vs the Goofy child...it was done.

I told the adults I couldn't do another day in a row, I had to have a break. Saturday was off-limits. HA! My husband promised the Goofy one a trip to the gas station, I think in return for getting rid of the dog- he had to go, not just because yet again he woke me up before 7:30 jumping all over me and sitting on top of me to scratch while the Goofy one curled up at my feet and blasted cartoons when there are 2,000 other TVs where sleeping people are not but because he keeps biting me. and it hurts. I look like a domestic abuse survivor right now with all of my bruises. I don't look good in bruises.

Anyway, he had to go to work so I thought we could take a field trip up to the gas station and that would satisfy him... pfft. now he wants to walk to the school to play. So, we're off again! Maybe soon I'll have something more interesting to tell you about :)

Alex's Birthday Party at the BounceU Room 3 and Home

After an hour of literal bouncing off the walls (posts 1 and 2) and the vicious assault on our hearing, the blessed silence of the party room was a welcome relief.

 

 

 

In the goody bags (8 freaking goody bags) there were clapping hands. 8 clapping hands.

The clapping hands were a big hit. all 8 of them. and 7 came home with me.

I would really like to thank BounceU for handing them out.

Not really. FU, BounceU! I freaking hate you, you sadistic SOB!

 

In addition to clapping hands, the Birthday Kids get to choose from a treasure chest.

The treasure chest has many, many awesome things in it.

for kids who don't have Alex's extremely limited interests. (There are some sensory friendly toys) 

I chose a ball for Alex because it was the only thing he could play with.

Unfortunately, they were out.

So, we got the T-shirt.

 

It was close to 7 before we got home.

'nough said.

 

The other kids, though pleasantly tired from the effort put in to act like they were hyped up on a cross between Red Bull and sugar, were totally ready to play some more.

and then they all crashed.

This was the best birthday party Alex has ever had :)